====== Mira Groupware Definition Study ======

===== Introduction =====

Mira Groupware (from now: Mira) is an Open Source groupware platform that will allow users to work together and collaborate on projects regardless of their timezone or location and will thus be ideal for project and data management.
===== Mira Application Overview =====

==== A Mira environment: ====
  * shall consist of one or more Workplaces,
  * shall be secure,
  * shall offer the ability to be self-updatable,
  * shall offer data replication services,
  * shall offer automated archiving services,
  * shall offer automated versioning services,
  * shall provide a context-aware help service,
  * shall allow Users to search an entire Workplace for a specific term,
  * shall offer additional functionality in the form of Mira applications called Utilities,
  * shall allow Utilities to communicate and interoperate with each other,
  * shall allow Users to have discussions in real-time with other Users of the same Workplace,
  * shall allow Users to send low-speed Messages to other Users in the same environment,
  * shall allow Users to send, receive and manage email via external mail environments,
  * shall offer an application development interface for Mira Utilities which will be used in Workplaces, such as:
    * Files Utility: to share files with other Users,
    * Discussion Utility: forum-like, to enable communication between Users,
    * Calendar Utility: to allow Users to set and share meetings and appointments,
    * Notes Utility: to share and collaborate on temporary notes,
    * Poll Utility: to create and vote on topics,
    * Forms Utility: to allow Users to enter data into a database as outlined by the creator of the form,
    * Project Utility: to allow Project Managers to set deadlines and manage resources in a project,
    * CRM Utility: to allow Users to collect, manage and analyse customer data,
    * Whiteboard Utility: to allow Users to draw on virtual whiteboards.

==== Mira Administrators: ====
  * can create, manage and destroy environments,
  * can add Users to and remove Users from an environment,
  * can authenticate Users,
  * can add software or hardware to environments,
  * can create, manage and destroy Workplaces,
  * can link Workplaces to external data sources.

==== Mira Project Managers: ====
  * can manage a Workplace,
  * can allow Users to enter a Workplace,
  * can define granular Roles for those Users.

==== Mira Users: ====
  * can share their work with other Users, 
  * can store work-related information coherently in a Workplace, 
  * can share calendars, appointments, a whiteboard and other data according to the Utilities in use in the Workplace.